Thill-coupling



UNITED STATES PATnrwr OLIVER M. RAUGH, OF NEWTON, IOWA.

THlLL-COUPLING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 316,483, dated April28, 1885.

Application filed January 14, 1885. (No model.)

.To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, OLIVER M. RAUGH, of Newton, in the county of Jasperand State of Iowa, have invented a new and useful Thill- Coupling, ofwhich the following is a specification.

My invention relates to the manner of securing a detachable thill-irontoa fixed pintle in a coupling adapted for attaching and detachinginterchangeable shafts and poles on vehicles. Heretofore a fixed iron ona clip has had a pintle extending horizontally therefrom and a hingedjaw adapted to swinghorizontally and laterally relative to the fixed jawand pintle.

My invention consists in the construction and combination of a hingedsection of ajaw or draw-bar and a latch device with a clip having afixed jaw and fixed pintle, as hereinafter set forth, in such a mannerthat the hinged section will more vertically to admit the thill-iron tobe placed upon the pintle and then drop, by force of gravity, upon theend of a pintle to prevent any lateral movement of the thill-iron,whilethe latch is moved laterally to prevent any vertical movement of thehinged jaw-section.

Figure l of the accompanying drawings is a perspective view of mycoupling-iron hav' ing a fixed pintle and two latches. Fig. 2 is a topView, and Fig. 3 a side view, showing the coupling-iron fixed to asection of an axle and a thilliron detachably connected therewith asrequired for practical use on a vehicle.

Jointly considered, these figures clearly illustrate the construction,application, operation, and utility of my complete invention.

A represents the base of a coupling-iron.

Bis a shoulder at its rear and small end, and O a vertical flange'at itsedge, the rear end of which flange is designed to abut against an axlewhen placed on top of the base and against the shoulder of O.

D is a bifurcated projection on the opposite edge of the base, and itsrear end will also come in contact with the axle.

F is a pintle extendinginward horizontally from the front end of theflange C. It is preferably made of wrought metal, and placed in the moldand cast fast to the coupling-iron, but may be fixed thereto in anysuitable way.

G is a latch hinged to the projection D. It has a cavity in its insidethat will allow it to be turned down to inclose the free end of thepintle F, and it also has a projection at its extremity that will entera slot or perforation in the front corner of the base A, to aid inuniting the latch firmly with the base.

H is a second latch, pivoted on top of the latch G in such a manner thatit can be extended at right angles therefrom, as shown in Fig. 1.

J represents a thill-iron that has a tubular T-end, adapted to be placedupon the fixed pintle F.

T 0 connect shafts or poles that are provided with such thill-irons witha vehicle having my coupling-irons attached, I simply adjust the latchesG and H so that they will allow the tubular .T-ends of the thill ironsto he slipped upon the fixed pintles by a lateral motion. I then turndown the latches G over the ends of the pintles and move the latches Hhorizontallyto place them parallel with the top edges of the projectionsD. The latches H will then prevent'the latches G from ver tical motionrelative to the pintles, and the latches G will prevent the thill-ironsfrom any lateral movement upon the pintles, while the thill-irons willbe free to swing upon the pintles to which they are thus secured.

Reverse movements of the two latches allows the thill-irons and shaftsor poles connected therewith to be moved laterally and detached from thevehicle whenever desired. No wrench or tool is required to attach ordetach, because the latches can be readily adjusted by hand-pressure,and no packing or springs are required to prevent rattling.

Nos. 1 and 2 are perforations in the iron A B, through which thescrew-threaded ends of the clips are passed to secure the coupling to anaxle.

I claim as my invention--- The improved thill-coupling,composed of abase, A B, having perforations l and 2, a ver tical flange or draw-iron,0, having a fixed pintle, F, aprojeotion, D, having a latch, G,

hinged thereto, a latch, H, pivoted to the latch G, and a thill-ironhaving an eye or tubular T-end, to operate in the manner set forth, forthe purposes stated.

OLIVER M. RAUGH.

Witnesses:

J. M. RAUGH, J. W. MCLAUGHLIN.

